Not to be a pest....

[Want2flyNow]

Hey, This is my first post and I'd just like to first say thanks for all the knowledge this site has given me. Im 14 and I have wanted to be a Navy pilot since the age of about 4. No military background except my uncle was an artillery man in Korea. I just have a couple questions.
First-If I join the ROTC and am rejected a pilots slot, can I opt out and leave the Navy?
Second-I'm in all honors and get pretty good grades(94 avg)and I hope to go to RPI for aeronautics education(work my ass off). If I then aplly to OTS do I have a good shot of getting a pilot slot or is it pin the tail on the donkey?
Three-Will flight hours help me get in?(should I try to take some flying classes or somethin?)

Basically I want to know whether I should do ROTC or wait till after college. I already ordered some flight apptitude books and flying books.

I know some of these questions have probobally been answered somewhere in this forum so sorry if any of these are repeats.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Good questions, especially considering that you're 14. I'll answer them to the best of my ability...

First-If I join the ROTC and am rejected a pilots slot, can I opt out and leave the Navy?

As long as you don't have an NROTC scholarship, you should be able to opt out. However, why would you want to? There's a billion jobs in the Navy, and all of them are great. Mainly because you get the opportunity to work with some of the finest people in the world.

Second-I'm in all honors and get pretty good grades(94 avg)and I hope to go to RPI for aeronautics education(work my ass off). If I then apply to OTS do I have a good shot of getting a pilot slot or is it pin the tail on the donkey?

Wow. RPI. Not exactly an easy school... But hey - good luck! As for your question, OTS is for Doctors, Lawyers, etc... So you have a 0% chance of getting pilots out of there. You would be applying for OCS. I believe you put in your choices for what you want, and then get selected for what the Navy needs. If you don't get selected for what you want, you can still opt out. But again, why would you want to? Just because you don't START as a pilot doesn't mean you can't FINISH as a pilot...

Three-Will flight hours help me get in?(should I try to take some flying classes or something?)

Flight Hours mean ZERO with regards to how well you do in a flight training pipeline. However, it would look good on your application as it shows you well rounded. If you search through some of the OCS threads, there's some good info.

Basically I want to know whether I should do ROTC or wait till after college. I already ordered some flight aptitude books and flying books.

Most people here will tell you that you should look into ALL the commissioning programs (BDCP, OCS, ROTC, USNA) and decide which is the best fit for you. Based on the info you provided, I can't tell you which would work the best for you. I'd need more info to steer you one way or the other.

Search, search, and search some more. A lot of your questions have already been debated to a great extent. There's a lot of good resident knowledge on board, so feel free to tap into it. Good luck, and welcome aboard.

 

[HeyJoe]

Hey, This is my first post and I'd just like to first say thanks for all the knowledge this site has given me. Im 14 and I have wanted to be a Navy pilot since the age of about 4. No military background except my uncle was an artillery man in Korea. I just have a couple questions.
First-If I join the ROTC and am rejected a pilots slot, can I opt out and leave the Navy?
Second-I'm in all honors and get pretty good grades(94 avg)and I hope to go to RPI for aeronautics education(work my ass off). If I then aplly to OTS do I have a good shot of getting a pilot slot or is it pin the tail on the donkey?
Three-Will flight hours help me get in?(should I try to take some flying classes or somethin?)

Basically I want to know whether I should do ROTC or wait till after college. I already ordered some flight apptitude books and flying books.

I know some of these questions have probobally been answered somewhere in this forum so sorry if any of these are repeats.

Search on BDCP which might a good fit for you and learn term/search for OCS if you want to fly Navy or Marine Corps (vice OTS). Make sure you visit ASTB threads. Plenty of answers here, but you need to do some research to learn that there's more than the two options you are thinking about now.

 

[skim]

I must say that you sound a lot older than some college grads on their first posts. Welcome to the site!

 

[NavAir42]

Not quite the case with college program and service obligations. Service selections usually come up during the fall of your senior year and if you're either a scholarship or college program guy at that point you already have a service obligation. Talking to a buddy who was a CP guy he couldn't remember if the service obligation started after your junior year or senior year but you definately had one by the time you found out if you were going to get a pilot slot or not.

So we're going to have to wait something like 10 years to find out if this kid is going to get his wings?

 

[Want2flyNow]

Not quite the case with college program and service obligations. Service selections usually come up during the fall of your senior year and if you're either a scholarship or college program guy at that point you already have a service obligation. Talking to a buddy who was a CP guy he couldn't remember if the service obligation started after your junior year or senior year but you definately had one by the time you found out if you were going to get a pilot slot or not.

So we're going to have to wait something like 10 years to find out if this kid is going to get his wings?

I'd do it now if i could.

 

[llnick2001]

Just to echo some of what's been said, look into all the commissioning options. I'm partial to USNA because that was the one I chose (they have a good aerospace engineering program too), but everyone gets called Ensign (or 2nd L.t., if you're into that sort of thing) when they finish no matter where they went.

 

[MIDNAdmiral]

ALL the commissioning programs (BDCP, OCS, ROTC, USNA)

Don't forget USMMA (sorry just had to throw it out there). If you don't get flight you don't have to join the Navy (other than the standard reserve obligation).

 

[JTB7]

Don't forget USMMA (sorry just had to throw it out there). If you don't get flight you don't have to join the Navy (other than the standard reserve obligation).

What do you mean when you don't get flight you don't have to join the Navy? Do you join another branch? I looked on their website and all their majors seem like the same exact thing.
-Marine Transportation
-Maritime Operations and Technology
-Logistics and Intermodal Transportation
-Marine Engineering
-Marine engineering systems
-Marine Engineering and Shipyard management
-Dual License

 

[A4sForever]

.... Im 14 and ....work my ass off....

First of all ... do you kiss your Mother with that mouth ???

Welcome aboard, Junior ... if you're only 14 and have known what you want since the tender age of 4 -- you'll probably make it, all things being equal.

There's a lot of good, current info on this site. Welcome to your new "home" ....

But first .... we have some housekeeping to do on you:

 

[raptor10]

I was thinking more along these lines

 

[UMichfly]

Or we can just teach the kid to say earmuffs (eyemuffs?) for the sake of those with sensitive ears/eyes...

 

[skim]

both those kids (yeah I know its ralphy) look so alike.

 

[MIDNAdmiral]

What do you mean when you don't get flight you don't have to join the Navy? Do you join another branch? I looked on their website and all their majors seem like the same exact thing.
-Marine Transportation
-Maritime Operations and Technology
-Logistics and Intermodal Transportation
-Marine Engineering
-Marine engineering systems
-Marine Engineering and Shipyard management
-Dual License

You're right, the majors do seem to be pretty much the same thing. There are really only two majors: Deck or Engine, and then variations on the two of them. So the first three majors are Deck majors and with them you'll graduate with a license to be a Mate on a Merchant Ship. The last three are the Engineering Majors and you'll graduate with a license to be an Engineer. The dual license program is currently not offered.

If you apply for Navy Flight and are not selected you do not have to join the Navy. This is unlike the Naval Academy where you would have to join the Navy as something other than a pilot. The standard obligation coming out of KP is to sail on your license and join the Naval Reserve. You could, however, satisfy that obligation by going active duty in any branch of the military (assuming you apply and are selected).

 

[HeyJoe]

If you apply for Navy Flight and are not selected you do not have to join the Navy. This is unlike the Naval Academy where you would have to join the Navy as something other than a pilot. The standard obligation coming out of KP is to sail on your license and join the Naval Reserve. You could, however, satisfy that obligation by going active duty in any branch of the military (assuming you apply and are selected).

I know several guys who did the King's Point thing and crossed back and forth due to reserve status getting a well rounded career in MSC and SWO ships.